La Mosquitia,Los Naranjos and Los Hornos, and El Zapote and Buenos Aires, located in the north east, south and east respectively, are areas that are difficult to access. People earn a living through agriculture and paid work is only available during harvesting season on the large plantations located far from their homes.

These communities live in houses made of adobe or wood with dirt floors, experiencing serious difficulties in the absence of electrical energy.

Highlights

In Honduras, 4 women have installed 207 solar panels, improving the quality of life of 54 families.

Each panel generates 85 watts that feed three lamps, a radio, television and also charges cell phones and bulbs.

The Small Grants Program has invested US$ 1 million in support for 28 solar energy projects in 18 countries.

Women have been empowered to provide solar energy to more than 3,778 households, benefiting 22,739 people in 52 districts.

“Although we are accustomed to this, without any light our children cannot study at home - even during the day. One of them suffers from respiratory problems, our house and clothes are stained with soot and the smell of smoke,” says 69-year-old Juanita Zambrano, who lived in Los Hornos the past 51 years.

In 2014, Iris Marlene Espinal and Carmen Lourdes Zambrano Cruz (from Los Hornos and Los Naranjos) and Alnora Casy Estrada and Ingrid Miranda Martinez (La Mosquitia) prepared themselves for six months as technical support staff for solar energy at The Barefoot College in Tilonia, India. Their trip was in collaboration with the Government of India and the Small Grants Program (SGP), a program supported by the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and UNDP.

The "Solar Engineers" initiative was launched in 2008 through a SGP/FMAMlamps partnership and the Barefoot College. The college provided technical and financial support, and is a pioneer in the field of teaching complex technological processes to illiterate students. None of the four women from Honduras knew how to read or write but were able to learn skills to help their communities.

“We didn’t have any diplomas like students at a normal university; in India, we learnt using a practical approach in order to make lamps, assemble electronic circuits and manage and install the solar panels. We brought back a lot of knowledge to benefit our communities and, in a sense, to help them to escape from poverty,” said Alnora Casy.

After learning how to install, maintain and repair solar energy equipment, the women returned to their communities to provide energy to their districts. In exchange for their services, the female engineers received a monthly salary from the city’s solar energy committee.

In Honduras, the four women installed panels together with other members of their communities, whom they trained. Each of the 207 installed panels generates 85 watts per household.

“Now, in addition to providing us with light, we can use the radio and TV…and we can also charge our cell phones and bulbs. We now sleep at nine and the children can study at night; we can listen to the news, read the Bible, talk… and we have less risk of fire,” says Juanita Zambrano.

In some of the schools where the solar system has been installed, some teachers are already using technological tools in their classes, improving the quality of education. Teenage students can tune in to classes on the radio.

“Electrical energy is an essential service to improve quality of life; this type of initiative helps to drive development in communities that are behind as well as to enhance participation and integration in the community,” says Consuelo Vidal, the UNDP resident officer for Honduras.

The four female engineers are working together to be able to provide solar energy to other communities across the country.

To date, the SGP has invested US$ 1 million, raised more than $ 1.5 million in co-financing, and has supported 28 projects related to Solar Panels in 18 countries. As a result, 71 women have been empowered to provide solar energy to more than 3,778 households and for 22,739 beneficiaries in 52 districts.